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Post by sonata58 on Nov 12, 2009 14:49:16 GMT
Wonderful performance by Hayley! And a stunning dress - she looked so fresh and beautiful!
I've always thought that Hayley's voice was much more suited to Dame Vera Lynn's songs than Katherine Jenkins'. She proved it with this performance. The clarity and the emotion in her voice was impressive.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Nov 13, 2009 2:58:09 GMT
Hello everyone, I want to tell you a story, which may... or may not... come to the right conclusion at the end. It contains a series of five enlargements from screen photos, taken with a camera from the TV screen, so the quality is poor. I've just been watching my recording of The Festival of Remembrance again, for the first time properly all the way through as I was busy doing videos when it was on 'live'. There were some lovely and some moving moments during the service, later in the programme. Hayley had no obvious part in the service, but I wondered when she suddenly appeared if she had another role to fulfil. Each comment relates to the photo below it.Hayley first appeared after the end of the hymn just before a short reading by the Dean of Westminster Bishop of Manchester. She was standing to his left as shown in the screenshot below, and was not there before the hymn. I wondered if there was a reason for it but if so, it was not obvious as none of the other civilian performers were there.  Next came the Act of Remembrance and the silence during the fall of thousands of poppies from high in the Royal Albert Hall. Hayley can be seen clearly as a tiny figure in distant camera shots, as the poppies fell.  Then it was the turn of two children representing the children of the UK, and Faryl Smith representing the children of the armed forces, to present their poppies to the Royal British Legion. They entered from steps at the rear of the arena, to instrumental music of The Prayer, which Faryl had sung earlier.  Faryl then walked away from the presentation table in the arena... up the steps the service was being conducted from...  ...and took up her place beside Hayley while the service continued, where they both remained until the end.  Was Hayley there to support Faryl? I don't know, you decide... but I know if I was organizing it, that's exactly how I would have done it. Anyway, I hope the screenshots (sorry about the poor quality) and the description give a feel for how these events unfolded, near the end of a very moving ceremony and excellent broadcast. This was British pageantry and BBC broadcasting at its best - and what an important part in it Hayley had this year.  Dave |
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Post by scoobedoo on Nov 13, 2009 3:24:20 GMT
Hi Dave,
does anyone know if there will be a DVD of this service at all like the one last year?
cheers,
Rodders.
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Post by graemek on Nov 13, 2009 9:14:11 GMT
Hi Dave, Rodders & All, Here are the notes I made as I listened to the BBC Radio Broadcast : hwi.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=legion&action=display&thread=4983&page=7#106371Hope that throws a bit of light on the scene. My impression (as I had to plough thru the sound clip) was that quite a bit of editing had taken place so the sequence was a bit uncertain. However after Faryl had sung it seems to fit that both her & Hayley would take a lead in the hymn to follow. Graeme |
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Post by grant on Nov 13, 2009 9:51:09 GMT
Hi Dave and everyone
A very interesting analysis Dave. Although I don't know how these things work behind the scenes, but knowing Hayley, I suspect that Hayley and Faryl may have 'hung out' together before the performance, and Hayley may have been there to support Faryl during the service.
One other possibility comes to mind and that is, not every civil performer would want, for whatever reason, to take part in a Christian service so, my question is; Might participation in that part of the Festival be optional for civil participants?
It seems odd that Hayley was the only one there at the beginning - it would have been difficult, given the amount of space available, for all of Ffron to have participated, but they could have been represented by 2 or 3 members. From memory, there was greater participation from the civil participants at last years ceremony.
Best wishes
Grant
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Post by Richard on Nov 13, 2009 10:09:19 GMT
I think Hayley was there as a supporter of the Royal British Legion, and she may also have been representing the troops still serving in Afghanistan. It's a pity she wasn't mentioned in the commentary at that point.
Richard
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Post by postscript on Nov 13, 2009 10:32:59 GMT
Hi Grant
If members recall I posted several weeks ago the possibility that Faryl would be invited to sing here but envisaging she would be on her own I commented that I thought this would be too great an ordeal for her young age.
With Hayley there, this suddenly became a possibility. They were next to one another after Faryl had escorted the two very young people through the hall who handed over a token, the young man making a very creditable speech. Did anyone else notice the little push in their backs she gave them when they had descended the steps?
I have tweeted Hayley with the question, "a duet some time?" I'm not a great tweeter (in any case I'm busy sorting out my Liverpool arrangements) and I am sure she will not be provoked into a direct response but the message is with her, of that I'm certain.
Considering Faryl is only 14 she displayed extraordinary stature and composure and for those who have not been following her, I'm sure they will agree her voice was incredible.
Both girls were wonderfully dressed and performed magnificently.
Peter S.
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Post by postscript on Nov 13, 2009 10:48:40 GMT
Hi Dave.
Accepting your technical explanation the shots are in fact superb and you have done very well with your equipment.
I think it perfectly feasible for Hayley to have been there in her own right as the person who helped launch the Appeal and also being the principal soloist. I also think that it would be natural for Faryl, again in her own right for ease of 'being located after her duties' to likewise stand there, close by and therefore the two girls would be together.
As I said in my reply to Grant I suspect the sequence worked: Hayley launching the Appeal and being there in her own right of participation meant that Faryl could be invited as she would have Hayley's support.
Peter S.
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Post by stevemacdonald on Nov 13, 2009 16:21:28 GMT
I think I can finally put my finger on what might have been lacking in the performance. It wasn't the low notes or the microphone. Rather, it was the limitations of the song itself.
"We'll Meet Again" is mainly a sentimental tune that served as a morale booster during the second world war. It now works as a nostalgia piece to evoke the spirit of those difficult days. However, as a musical statement it's rather bland to the point of forgettable and not even Hayley can escape its essential dullness. Clearly this song had to be sung, since this was Dame Vera's moment of recognition for her service, and at least Hayley did a respectable job. But what a difference from several years ago when she delivered an impassioned "Tonight We'll Light a Candle"! Now that's a song!
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Nov 14, 2009 12:49:59 GMT
There's a new article with Faryl Smith -- apparently she and Hayley shared a dressing room for the event!  |
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Post by postscript on Nov 14, 2009 14:11:07 GMT
Hi Jillian.
Thank you for bringing that Faryl piece to our attention. That was a lovely thought of her sharing her very wonderful experience to CBBC. It is also typical of Faryl. She and Hayley should get on well together as friends. Totally different people but both down-to-earth, practical people who take the most amazing things in their stride, unfazed, quietly self-assured and so down-to-earth.
I thought of her dress difficulty of walking down the stairs because she had mentioned it when at the Albert Hall, when singing while walking down some stage stairs, she said she was feeling her way with her feet as she couldn't see the stairs with her dress billowing out.
Peter S.
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Post by grant on Nov 14, 2009 14:53:23 GMT
Hi Jillian
A great article by young Faryl and interesting to hear that she shared a dressing room with Hayley. I'm sure that would have been good for both of them.
I can just imagine Hayley offering calming words to help combat Faryl's nerves even though she was probably feeling very nervous herself.
Best wishes
Grant
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Nov 14, 2009 16:28:28 GMT
There's a new article with Faryl Smith -- apparently she and Hayley shared a dressing room for the event! Hi Jillian, thanks for posting that very interesting report. Was Hayley there to support Faryl? I don't know, you decide... but I know if I was organizing it, that's exactly how I would have done it. ... and I would have done the dressing room thing, too  Well done to the organizers for the thought and consideration they clearly put into not just creating a superb spectacle but also in the thoughtful way they seem to have looked after the performers, particularly the young ones and some were of course even younger than Faryl. It must have been reassuring for the parents of Faryl and the other children. Cheers, Dave |
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Post by Sing on Nov 19, 2009 19:57:26 GMT
there are about 4 or 5 pictures in Faryl's gallery on her website from the festival of rememberance which also show Hayley too www.farylmusic.com/gallery/here's a link to the gallery, i hope it works, you'll have to look through the gallery though, i think they're from the 7th or 8th image Sing |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Nov 19, 2009 23:08:55 GMT
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Well done to the organizers for the thought and consideration they clearly put into not just creating a superb spectacle but also in the thoughtful way they seem to have looked after the performers, particularly the young ones and some were of course even younger than Faryl. It must have been reassuring for the parents of Faryl and the other children.
